APIAs Respond to the War on Terrorism (in National News) Korean American Senior Survey Finds New Needs (in Bay Area News) Normalizing Trade Relations With Vietnam (in Business) Apocalypse Right Now (in A&E) Afghan Opposition Made of Bitter Rivals (in Opinion)

APIAs Respond to the War on Terrorism

By Neela Banerjee and Benjamin King

As dusk fell on the second day of United States and Britain’s airborne strikes on Afghanistan, 75-year-old Emma Mar stood with a group of nearly 100 people around a semi-circle of candles in Oakland’s Mosswood Park.

As the United States starts major retaliatory action, barely a month after the destruction of the World Trade Center, Asian Pacific Islander Americans across the nation speak out — both in support and condemnation of the war on terrorism.

President George W. Bush officially announced the beginning of the retaliation efforts mid-day on Sunday Oct. 7. He promised, “sustained, comprehensive and relentless operations” to drive out the alleged terrorists from the rocky cave network that protects Afghan soldiers.

“More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and specific demands: close terrorist training camps, hand over leaders of the al Qaeda network . . . . None of these demands were met and now the Taliban will pay a price,” Bush said. “By destroying camps and disrupting communications, we will make it more difficult for the terror network to train new recruits and coordinate their evil plans.”

110 PERCENT BEHIND PRESIDENT BUSH

Some members of the community say that America’s active response to the terrorism makes them feel a lot better.

“When the Sept. 11 attacks occurred, I felt great loss and anger,” the mayor of Lodi, Calif., Alan Nakanishi, said. “I knew that something had to be done, that we had to go after these people.”

Nakanishi, a third-generation Japanese American was interned at Tule Lake as a child and also served as a major in the United States army. Nakanishi said that he had attended a conference on weapons of mass-destruction just before the attacks and was fearful for this country.

“I think going after the terrorist camps to stop this kind of violence is exactly what we need to do,” Nakanishi said.

Voices of support also came from Tai-Li Chang, former chair of the Stanford College Republicans, who was “very much in support of Bush.”

He and his family, who are from Texas, grappled with being caught between feeling pressured into displaying their patriotism and showing genuine pride in their country.

“My parents had [a flag] out there too, and they felt a little bit like they had to [do it] because everyone else on the block did,” Chang said. “But more than that, they themselves, feel like they’re Americans now … America today, is not being Caucasian. Anyone is and can be American.”

Indeed, this tragedy goes beyond racial lines, said Rodney Leong, a member of the California Chinese American Republican Coalition and third-generation San Franciscan.

“The attack on the World Trade Center was an attack on all the peoples of the world,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of American you are, it was an attack on us all.” Furthermore, he wholeheartedly supports the United States actions, saying, “I am in support of any and all actions necessary to take out the parties who perpetrated those acts of war on our country.”

THE OTHER SIDE

Within hours of the announcement of the strikes, anti-war protests were organized across the country and continued on through the next days. The nationwide group, International Answer — which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism — held protests in New York, Washington and San Francisco among other cities.

In San Francisco, newly formed organization Asian Pacific Islander Coalition Against War (APICAW) participated in protests and vigils on both Sunday and Monday of last week. APICAW initially formed through a meeting organized by progressive community group Asian Pacific Islander Force.

“At first, we just brought people together to talk about how the community was being impacted,” APICAW member Sun Lee said, at the candlelight vigil held in Oakland, organized by the East Bay Solidarity committee. From that first meeting, APICAW has formed into a 30-member group, which is working to coalition with other anti-war groups and do educational outreach in the APIA community.

“We want to give confidence to Asian Americans, especially newer immigrants, who may not believe in the war, but don’t want to appear un-American,” Lee said. “Especially with our collective history — with the Korean War and the Vietnam War — people really understand the horrors of it.”

APICAW is planning to work hand-in-hand with the ethnic media to provide translated materials to different APIA communities about what they stand for. They also want to hold teach-ins.

At the East Bay solidarity vigil, diverse groups from across the Bay Area played drums, read poetry and spoke out against not only the war — but also the larger systems that oppress people in America.

Mar, who attended the vigil with her husband, is a retired, second-generation Chinese American scientist who grew up in New York. As a member of the Peace and Freedom Party, since its inception, Mar spoke staunchly about her beliefs.

“We spend billions a year for things like new weaponry and now we are using it to kill innocent people,” Mar said furiously. “We should spend this money to feed the world. Instead of bombing people and making enemies, we could feed them and make friends.”